LD products recently moved into a brand new facility in Long Beach that was built to the highest energy-saving and eco-friendly standards that exist. One example is the electricity that powers our building; at least 35% of our energy comes from renewable sources. The office space, storefront, and warehouse space are completely state-of-the-art and were designed specifically to achieve LEED Platinum status.
But as a customer looking for printer ink and copier toner, what does this mean to you? In order to answer that question, let's take a look at what LEED Platinum certification is, what it means about our company, and what it means for you.
What is it?
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It is a rating system that expresses how efficiently a building is designed and operated. In order to rate and rank a site, each structure is given a certain number of points based on its environmental impact. In every measured category, each structure is credited with points and compared to other buildings that act as reference points for the constructions.
In the areas of water efficiency, energy & atmosphere, materials & resources, indoor environmental quality, and sustainability, points are given on a 100 point scale. To achieve LEED Certified status requires 40 points; 50 points will put a site at the Silver level; between 60 and 79 points earn Gold certification; and buildings that reach a minimum of 80 points are awarded Platinum status.
Why we do it
As a company, LD Products is committed to the preservation of not only our company's resources, but also of the limited resources of our environment. Much like the ink and toner cartridges that we carefully clean and repair in order to safely and effectively reuse, LEED certification helps to ensure that we manage our resources well.
What we have found is that with an investment now in the most modern methods of conserving water, providing clean indoor air, and powering our building with clean energy, we save money in the long run on the operational costs of our business. In short, our contribution to a healthy planet is part of a healthy business plan!.
Why our customers should care
Those who have done business with LD Products know that in addition to offering the highest quality merchandise and customer service, we take pride in providing our customers with ink and toner at significant savings. By keeping our operating costs low, we are able to pass even more savings on high-quality printing supplies on to you!
LEED certification point categories
Sustainable Sites
Site selection and construction management are important components for a project's sustainability. The LD Products Corporate Headquarters employs the following measures:
- Preferred parking for low-emitting, fuel-efficient, and carpool vehicles.
- in addition to on-site bicycle storage, showers and changing areas for company employees - to promote alternative forms of transportation.
- A white "cool roof" and light colored paving materials were used to reduce the Head Island Effect (phenomenon of increased temperatures in microclimates constructed with dark paving and roofing materials that trap and absorb heat during the day).
- Measure to mitigate the disruption and pollution of natural on-site water flows
Water Efficiency
Buildings are major users of our potable water supply. The goal of this credit category is to encourage efficient use of water, inside and out, to reduce the burden on municipal water supply.
- 1.1 gallon per flush (gpf) High Efficiency Toilets, which save 30% over standard 1.6 gpf toilets.
- Waterless urinals, which save 100% over standard 1.0 gpf urinals.
- 1.5 gallon per minute (gpm) showers, which save 40% over standard 2.5 gpm showers.
- Native, drought-tolerant landscaping with a high-efficiency irrigation system, which saves more than 74,664 gallons of water annually.
- All water used for landscape irrigation and indoor flush fixtures is provided by municipally treated reclaimed water services to further offset the use of potable water.
The LD Products Corporate Headquarters uses 42% less potable water than a conventional office space with standard fixtures. This will result in an estimated savings of more than 83,600 gallons of potable water per year.
Energy and Atmosphere
Energy and Atmosphere
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, buildings use 39% of the energy and 74% of the electricity produced each year in the United States.
LD Products Corporate Headquarters has implemented the following energy-efficiency measures to reduce its negative environmental impact.
- High-efficiency interior and exterior lighting systems, including daylight responsive controls.
- High-efficiency HVAC systems, including economizer cycle capabilities.
- Rooftop grid-connected photovoltaic system to provide approximately 18% of the building's estimated annual energy use.
- Energy measurement and verification system designed into the buildings network to provide ongoing accountability of energy consumption over time.
The above strategies yield design calculations indicating that the LD Products Corporate Headquarters saves approximately 47% energy to a comparable building built to minimum code standards.
Materials and Resources
Materials and Resources
During both the construction and operations phases, buildings generate a great deal of waste and use many materials and resources.
LD Products Corporate Headquarters employed the following strategies to preserve materials during the construction process and in daily operations:
- Recycling stations throughout the building spaces allow employees to separately collect plastic, paper, cardboard, metals and glass.
- Diversion of apprx. 85% of all construction waste from landfills to recycling centers during the construction process.
- Priority was given to building materials that were sourced locally and composed of recycled content.
- Natural wood building materials were provided by sources that practice environmentally responsible forest management and are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
Indoor Environmental Quality
Indoor Environmental Quality
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend about 90% of their day indoors, where the air quality can be significantly worse than outside. The Indoor Environmental Quality credit category promotes strategies that can improve indoor air as well as providing access to natural daylight and views and improving acoustics.
LD Products Corporate Headquarters approached its indoor environmental quality needs in the following ways:
- Building includes walk-off grates and dedicated exhaust systems to control sources of indoor pollutants.
- HVAC system includes high efficiency (MERV-13) particulate filtration.
- All interior finishes and construction materials (adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings, and flooring systems etc.) were selected with low- or no-levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
- Each private office includes individual control of HVAC and lighting systems.
- All workstations include individual control over lighting systems.
- A comprehensive Indoor Air Quality Management Plan was followed during construction and a building "flush out" period was provided prior to occupancy.
- Smoking is prohibited on the premises.
- Building owner and management has developed a Green Cleaning Policy to reduce exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel to potentially hazardous chemical, biological and particulate contaminates, which adversely affect air quality, human health, building finishes, building systems and the environment.
